Beginning her career in 1975 as lead vocalist for the then exclusively Spanish-language band, Miami Sound Machine, before crossing over to mainstream pop success with the international hit singles "Dr. Beat" (1984) and "Conga" (1986), Estefan emerged as one of the biggest new stars in the mid-'80s, predating the still nascent Latin pop explosion by a decade, and scoring a series of propulsive dance hits rooted in the rhythms of her native Cuba, before shifting her focus to softer, more ballad-oriented fare.
Born in Havana, Cuba, the young Gloria Fajardo was raised primarily in Miami, FL, after her father, a bodyguard of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista, was forced to flee the island following the 1959 coup helmed by Fidel Castro. In the fall of 1975, Fajardo and her cousin Merci Murciano auditioned for the Miami Latin Boys, a local wedding band headed by keyboardist Emilio Estefan. With their addition, the group was rechristened Miami Sound Machine and four years later, Fajardo and Estefan were wed. As Miami Sound Machine began composing their own original material, their fusion of pop, disco, and salsa earned a devoted local following, and in 1979 the group issued their first Spanish-language LP on CBS International. Despite a growing Hispanic fan base, they did not cross over to non-Latin audiences until "Dr. Beat" topped European dance charts in 1984.
With 1985's Primitive Love, Miami Sound Machine recorded their first English-language effort, scoring three Top Ten pop hits in the U.S. alone with the infectious "Conga", "Bad Boy", and "Words Get in the Way". Following 1987's triple-platinum Let It Loose, Estefan took top billing and the group changed its name to Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine in 1988, reeling off four Top Ten hits - "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You", "Can't Stay Away from You", the chart-topping "Anything for You", and "1-2-3". 1989's Cuts Both Ways was credited to Estefan alone and generated her second #1 hit, "Don't Wanna Lose You". However, on March 20, 1990, while touring in support of the album, her bus was struck by a tractor trailer. Estefan suffered a broken vertebra that required extensive surgery and kept her off the road for over a year. Her husband Emilio and the couple's son were injured in the crash as well, but all three recovered. Estefan resurfaced in 1991 with Into the Light, again topping the charts with "Coming Out of the Dark", a single inspired by her near-fatal accident. Two more cuts from the album, "Can't Forget You" and "Live for Loving You", secured her foothold on the adult contemporary charts.
With 1993's Mi Tierra, Estefan returned to her roots, recording her first Spanish-language record in nearly a decade and earning a Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album; on the follow-up 1994 covers collection, Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, she also recalled her dance-pop origins with a rendition of the Vicki Sue Robinson disco classic, "Turn the Beat Around". Another all-Spanish effort, Abriendo Puertas (1995), earned her a Grammy as well, while Destiny featured "Reach", named the official theme of the 1996 Summer Olympics. As Latin pop made new commercial headway, thanks to the efforts of acts like Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias, Estefan reigned as the most successful crossover artist in Latin music history, with international record sales close to the 50 million mark. In 1999, she also made her feature film debut alongside Meryl Streep in Music of the Heart, recording the film's title song as a duet with *NSYNC, and scoring both a massive pop hit and an Oscar nomination in the process. A new Spanish-language album, Alma Caribeña, followed in the spring of 2000. Several months later, Estefan was awarded a Grammy for Best Music Video for "No Me Dehes de Querer" at the inaugural annual Latin Grammy Awards. Her husband, Emilio, won for Producer of the Year. - Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Appearances and tours
In April 2004, Estefan appeared on the Fox Broadcasting Company’s program, American Idol, but declined an offer to be an official judge, saying she did not like to “judge” others.
On July 28, 2004, in a press conference hosted by Donald Trump at the Trump Tower, Estefan announced that her then-upcoming tour would be her final one. The Live and Re-Wrapped Summer/Fall 2004 Tour, her first tour in eight years was produced by Clear Channel Entertainment. The tour featured Estefan’s greatest hits, along with new material from Unwrapped.
In December 2006, Estefan appeared as a special guest singer on the UK talent show The X Factor.
Gloria's 11th studio album,Miss Little Havana. The Miss Little Havana Songfacts says that the first nine tracks tells the tale of a young girl who hooks up with the wrong guy in Miami after moving there from Cuba. All of these tracks were written or co-written by Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes. It is described by Estefan as a project in the vein of her 1998 hit album gloria!.
Songfacts reports that "Hotel Nacional" debuted at #1 on Billboard's Latin countdown - the first time a female artist had achieved that feat since the chart was introduced in 1986. Both "Wepa" and "Hotel Nacional" achieved number one on Billboard Latin Songs and on Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs.
Estefan started a reality show called The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep opposite Joe Jonas, Nelly and John Rich on the CW Network, where she, and the other three mentors are searched for the next big star, to record an album with Atlantic Records. Unlike other music reality shows, in this program, the mentors selected the "candidates" for the show, and trained them for a live performance, where they'd be voted for the best act of the day. The first season ended in October 2012, with musician Michael Ray, as the big finalist.
This same year, Estefan appeared as a musical guest in Tony Bennett's compilation of duets with Latin-American musicians, Viva Duets with a rendition of the song, "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)". Weeks later, she helped the American version of Teleton, releasing the charity single "Por Un Mundo Mejor" along with Mexican singer Lucero, Dominican rapper El Cata and Mexican pop band, Reik. A video for the song was shot, with them recording the song, which was marked as the official hymn for the foundation.
In May 2013, she appears doing another duet with the song "Think I'm In Love Again" as part of the albums Duets released by Paul Anka.
Estefan has announced she was working on a new album of covers, The Standards, released in September 2013. The album will feature some collaborations with artists like Laura Pausini, Dave Koz and Joshua Bell, and the selection of songs are mostly songs from the Great American songbook. Estefan released the first single, "How Long Has This Been Going On?", digitally on Amazon and iTunes on July 9, 2013
Official website: http://www.gloriaestefan.com
Turn the Beat Around
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turn the beat around
Love to hear percussion
Turn it upside down
Love to hear percussion
Love to hear it
Your violins keep movin' to the nitty gritty
When you hear the scratch of the guitar scratchin'
Then you'll know that the rhythm carries all the action, oh yeah
Turn the beat around (turn it around)
Love to hear percussion
Turn it upside down (turn it up, turn it up, turn it upside down)
Love to hear percussion
Love to hear it
Turn the beat around
Love to hear percussion
Turn it upside down
Love to hear percussion
Love to hear it
Flute player play you're flute 'cause
I know that you want to get your thing off
But you see I've made up my mind about it
To me it is the rhythm, no doubt about it, woah, woah
'Cause when the guitar player starts playing
With the syncopated rhythm, with the scratch, scratch, scratch
Makes me want to move my body yeah, yeah, yeah
And when the drummer starts beating that beat
He nails that beat with the syncopated rhythm
With the rat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat, on the drums, hey
Turn the beat around (turn it 'roud and 'round and 'round)
Love to hear percussion
Turn it upside down
Love to hear percussion
Love to hear it
Love to hear it
Love to hear it
Love to hear it
(Turn it up, turn it up, turn it upside down)
(Turn it up, turn it up, turn it upside down)
(Turn it up, turn it up, turn it upside down)
(Turn it up, turn it up, turn it upside down)
Turn the beat around (turn the beat around)
Love to hear percussion (turn the beat around)
Turn it upside down
Love to hear percussion
Love to hear it
Turn the beat around
Love to hear percussion
Turn it upside down
Love to hear percussion
Turn the beat around (turn the beat around)
Love to hear percussion
Turn it upside down (turn it upside down)
Love to hear percussion
Love to hear it!
The song "Turn the Beat Around" by Gloria Estefan is a lively and upbeat anthem that celebrates the joy of percussive music. The lyrics express the singer's love for the different instruments in a band, particularly the percussion instruments, and how they bring life to the rhythm. The song encourages listeners to let loose, move their bodies, and feel the beat. The phrase "turn it upside down" signifies shaking up the norm and defying expectations, adding to the song's theme of freedom and excitement.
The lyrics praise the sound of the various instruments in the band, including the horns, violins, guitar, flute, and drums, as well as the syncopated rhythms that they create together. The upbeat and catchy tune, combined with the intense instrumentals, sets a celebratory and fun tone. The repetition of the phrase "Love to hear percussion" reinforces the importance of rhythm and the impact it has on the body and the soul.
"Turn the Beat Around" was released in 1979 as a single and became one of Gloria Estefan's most popular songs. It was originally written by Pete and Gerry Jackson and performed by Vicki Sue Robinson, but Gloria Estefan's version added a Latin-American flair to the song. The music video for the song was also a huge success, featuring disco-themed dancing and fashion. The song's popularity helped to establish Gloria Estefan as a prominent artist in the music industry, and it remains a popular party staple to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn the beat around
Change the music's rhythm to give it a different vibe.
Love to hear percussion
Really enjoy listening to the beat of the music.
Turn it upside down
Alter the rhythm completely to give it a new feel.
Blow horns you sure sound pretty
Find the sound of the horns in the music very appealing.
Your violins keep movin' to the nitty gritty
Feel drawn to the raw, gritty nature of the music, although it may not be perfect.
When you hear the scratch of the guitar scratchin'
Take notice of the guitar's unique sound when it is played in a certain way.
Then you'll know that the rhythm carries all the action, oh yeah
Realize that the rhythm in the music is what drives the energy of the song forward.
Flute player play you're flute 'cause
Encouraging the flute player to do their thing.
I know that you want to get your thing off
Understand that the flute player is trying to showcase their talents and creativity in the music.
But you see I've made up my mind about it
Have already decided that the rhythm is the most important aspect of the music.
To me it is the rhythm, no doubt about it, woah, woah
Feel strongly that the beat of the music is what really makes it great.
'Cause when the guitar player starts playing
Explaining why the guitar sound is so important in the music.
With the syncopated rhythm, with the scratch, scratch, scratch
Telling how the guitar sound is unique and has a specific rhythm to it.
Makes me want to move my body yeah, yeah, yeah
Feel energized and excited by the music's rhythm, and want to dance to it.
And when the drummer starts beating that beat
Showing how the drums also have a big role in creating a great rhythm.
He nails that beat with the syncopated rhythm
Showing how the drummer is able to create a unique sound in the music using syncopation.
With the rat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat, on the drums, hey
Describing the sound of the drums in a specific part of the song.
(Turn it up, turn it up, turn it upside down)
Expressing excitement about changing the music's rhythm in a creative way.
Love to hear it!
Really enjoy the music's unique sound and powerful rhythm.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GERALD JACKSON, PETER JACKSON, PETER JACKSON JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@KH-gj1rt
30 years later and I'm still loving this song and loving Gloria.
@tonysmith9930
Some of us remember it from an even longer time ago. Gloria did a good job with the remake.
@longinohamilton8300
Sometimes, we talk of great Latin women who reached the top in their careers in the U.S. Jennifer, Shakira, etc, but Gloria Estefan she was the one who opened that road for all of them to cross when being a Latin person in that time wasn't that easy. Love and respect for Gloria Estefan!
@thomasrussell4674
And Carmen Miranda!
@carloscarballo2595
Cuánta verdad no, ella fue la pionera en qué una latina llegue a u.s
@paulc1014
100% Rhythm
100% Talent
100% Classy
@melfreitas1290
100% gorgeous
@fraterlibertas3036
100% overall!!
@caseychavez9815
100% a copy of Vicky sue original
@fernandocecchetto
100% Temazoooooooooooooooo!!!